Anderson, Brenda Lindley

NASA NTRS2011

Apollo 13 Case Study

The dramatic journey of the crippled Apollo 13 vehicle has been heavily documented and popularized. Many people know there was an explosion in the service module which caused the vehicle to lose its oxygen supply. Less well known is the set of circumstances which led to the explosion. This paper examines the manufacturing, processing and testing history of oxygen tank #2, detailing the additive effects which caused the oxygen to ignite and to overpressure the tank.

Anderson, Brenda Lindley↗

NASA NTRS2011

A Case Study of the Failure on Apollo 13: Based on TMX-65270, Report of Apollo 13 Review Board

The dramatic journey of the crippled Apollo 13 vehicle has been heavily documented and popularized. Many people know there was an explosion in the service module which caused the vehicle to lose its oxygen supply. Less well known is the set of circumstances which led to the explosion. This paper examines the manufacturing, processing and testing history of oxygen tank #2, detailing the additive effects which caused the oxygen to ignite and to overpressure the tank.

Anderson, Brenda Lindley↗

NASA NTRS2011

The Psychology of Safety

Many studies of mishaps show that human error is a factor in a significant majority of accidents. Trying to decide how to change human behavior to be safer is generally the biggest challenge of any safety program. However, understanding the human psyche is the first step to changing behavior. Many studies focus on the before and after of an accident, but what about the thoughts of a person in the commission of an unsafe act? This is a less understood area. Examining it reveals why it is not well comprehended. This paper attempts to examine a part of the thought process, with an eye to helping influence people to less hurtful actions.

Anderson, Brenda Lindley↗

NASA NTRS2011

A Case Study on the Failure on Apollo 13

Summary of Findings: (1) The post-failure investigation determined that extended operation of the heater damaged the wiring inside O2 #2. (2) Apparently during other stir operations prior to the explosion, the damaged wires didn't come in contact enough to spark. The right conditions had to be in position to cause the arcing which led to the blast.

Anderson, Brenda Lindley↗